When One Piece is Missing, Everything Falls Apart (Part 3)
[Massachusetts General Hospital. Morning]
(As Diane sleeps, Sam leaves the room and goes to the vending machine to get a bottle of water. As he waits for it to come out, a ball bumps into his foot and he is surprised, picks it up and looks to his left. When his gaze and that of a boy's meet, the boy's eyes widen in surprise. Puzzled, Sam looks around and behind himself to see if he can identify the cause of his surprise, but sees nothing out of the ordinary)
Sam: Are you all right?
(Still very surprised, the boy nods. Sam picks up his water bottle, stands up and gives the ball to the boy)
Sam: Here...
Boy: Thank... you...
(As Sam turns to enter the room, the boy calls to him and he turns back)
Boy: Wait! Are you... Sam Malone?
Sam: (Very surprised) Yes. How do you know me? You can't be older than six or seven.
Boy: My dad's your fan.
Sam: (Surprised, laughs) Wow.
Boy: Would you mind if I asked you to sign my ball?
Sam: Not at all, I'd be honored.
Boy: I'll be right back! (He runs out and goes to his room)
Sam: (Laughs, to himself) What a nice kid. (Opens the bottle and takes a swig)
Making your way in the world today
takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries
sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you wanna go
where everybody knows your name
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see
our troubles are all the same.
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.
You wanna go where people know
people are all the same.
You wanna go where everybody knows your name.
(In less than a minute, the boy comes back with the ball, a marker, a piece of paper and a camera)
Boy: Would you mind signing on paper too? The one on the ball might rub off if I play with it too much.
Sam: (Smiles) Sure, no problem. (Signs the ball first, then the paper) Is that so we can take a picture together?
Boy: If you don't mind...
Sam: What would I mind? I'm more than happy (laughs). I didn't expect to meet a fan in a place like this, especially one this young (laughs).
Boy: Will you come back here?
Sam: Unfortunately I don't think I'll even leave.
Boy: (Surprised) Are you sick?
Sam: Not me, my girlfriend.
Boy: Girlfriend? You're not married?
Sam: No, not yet. We were separated for many years for work reasons. Smile for the picture.
(They both smile and Sam takes the picture)
Sam: Why did you ask?
Boy: Because I'm sure my dad would be very happy if you said hello to you.
Sam: (Smiles) When he gets here, he can knock on the door, I'd be happy to meet him.
Boy: (Happy) Great! Thank you very much for the picture, and I'm sorry I bothered you.
Sam: No bother at all, man. To be honest, I was pretty bored. This actually made me smile.
Boy: Don't you play games with your girlfriend?
Sam: (Laughs) I wish. She spends most of the time sleeping.
Boy: Then... Would you like to play with me? I have games that don't make noise.
(Sam was a little surprised. He did not expect a child to ask him to play in a place like this)
Sam: If that's okay with your mother.
Boy: My mom is working.
Sam: Then who are you with?
Boy: Alone.
(Sam was quite surprised that such a young child would be alone in such a situation, but considering how expensive health care is, he was not too shocked either)
Sam: Then you'd better come with us. But leave a note on your bed first in case your parents or a nurse comes. I don't want them to get scared.
Boy: Okay.
(The boy runs back into the room and, after a while, returns to Sam, who is now eating a chocolate bar. Sam, seeing him arrive with a backpack, laughs. When they enter the room, the boy stares at Diane)
Boy: (Quietly) She's beautiful.
Sam: (Quietly, laughs) And that's being sick and asleep. Wait till she wakes up. Her smile is both beautiful and contagious. And her eyes are beautiful too.
(The boy, seeing how much Sam loves her, smiles)
Sam: (Quietly) By the way, you still haven't told me your name.
Boy: (Quietly) Ethan. Would you like to play checkers?
Sam: (Quietly) Okay.
Ethan: (Quietly, as he sets up the board) Do you still play baseball?
Sam: (Quietly) No. I've got a bar now.
Ethan: (Quietly) Do you like your job?
Sam: (Quietly) I love it. The barmaid and the bartender are my best friends, and the most loyal customer I have is also a great friend. We're like a family.
Ethan: (Quietly) What is your girlfriend's job?
Sam: (Quietly) She's a writer.
Ethan: (Quietly) Is she famous?
Sam: (Quietly) I wouldn't say that.
Ethan: (Quietly) What's her name?
Sam: (Quietly) Diane Chambers.
Ethan: (Quietly, surprised) My mother is reading one of her books!
Sam: (Quietly, very surprised) Really?! Is she liking it?
Ethan: (Quietly) I don't know, I haven't asked her.
Sam: (Quietly) If you can do it and the answer is yes, I'm sure Diane will be very happy to hear it.
(...)
(After a while, Sam plays with Ethan's remote-control plane. First, he flies it around the hospital and then he makes it fly in through the window, but he inadvertently loses control and the plane ends up crashing into the drip and poking the bag with the meds. This causes Diane to wake up with a start. Sam and Ethan look at her in fear and Diane looks at them confused, looks at the drip and glares at them)
Diane: (Furious) Sam...
Sam: I can explain. We were playing with the plane and well... it crashed where it shouldn't...
(Diane, angry, turns to get the plane, but Sam stops her)
Sam: Stay there. I'll get it. (He picks up the plane and gives it to the boy)
Diane: Who's this boy?
Ethan: My name's Ethan. I'm in the next room.
Sam: (To Ethan) See if it works.
(The boy tries to make it fly, and when he sees that the plane is not broken, he smiles)
Sam: I'm gonna call the nurse.
(When Sam leaves, Diane sighs resignedly)
Ethan: Are you mad at me?
Diane: No, just at Sam.
Ethan: Next time we'll play with a paper one.
(Hearing the child, Diane smiles and the child is surprised)
Diane: What's wrong?
Ethan: Sam was right.
Diane: (Confused) About what?
Ethan: You have pretty eyes and a beautiful smile.
(Diane, upon hearing the boy, smiles again and her cheeks turns slightly rosy)
Diane: Did Sam say that?
Ethan: Yes, he loves you a lot.
Diane: (Smiles) I love him a lot too.
(At that moment, Sam enters with a nurse, who immediately changes the bag)
Nurse: Next time, no flying objects.
Ethan: Yes, from now on the only thing that will be in the air will be love.
(Hearing this, Diane and the nurse laugh and Sam, who was drinking water, laughs too, causing it to come out of his nose and wet Diane again)
Diane: If you were going to give me a shower, you should have brought me a bathing suit.
Sam: (Holding in his laughter) I'm sorry.
Nurse: I see you've made friends with little Ethan. He's very popular with the nurses here. Have a good time. Just don't cause too much trouble.
Sam: Yes. Thank you, Tiffany.
(Seeing that he knows her name, Diane raises an eyebrow and stares at him)
Diane: Tiffany?
Sam: Leave that for when we're not babysitting.
(Diane looks at him resignedly and lies down again. It did not matter where they were, Sam always met one of his conquests)
(...)
[Afternoon]
(Diane is lying on her side, sleeping, with her hands toward the edge of the bed. Sam is holding her hand as he looks at her with a smile. At that moment, his gut rumbles, making a loud noise. Somewhat nervously, Sam looks towards the door)
Sam: (Quietly, to himself) There must be a lot of work at the bar today. (Trying to wake her up) Diane... Diane... (Quietly, to himself) Boy, those drugs are strong, she sleeps like a log. I'll leave her a note.
(Sam lets go of Diane's hand and opens the nightstand drawers, but they are all empty. Seeing that he has nowhere to write, he goes out and asks the receptionist for a piece of paper and a pen. Taking advantage of the table, he writes the note, goes inside, leaves it on the nightstand, puts Diane's hairbrush on top of it so it will not fly away and leaves. The note reads "If you wake up and don't see me, don't worry, I went to the cafeteria to eat something. I'll be right back. I love you. Sam". As soon as Sam gets on the elevator, Andrew Schroeder enters the 10th floor disguised as a doctor using the stairs and approaches the receptionist)
Andy: Miss Chambers' room?
Receptionist: 104. Are you new?
Andy: I'm her family doctor.
Receptionist: Ah! No wonder I didn't recognize your face (laughs). Go ahead.
(As soon as Andy turns around, he smiles wickedly. When he enters the room, Diane is turned to the door. At the sight of her, Andy smiles with satisfaction and starts talking quietly, to himself, like a psychopath)
Andy: How beautiful. The paleness of her face. Almost white... But it's not enough. I have to kill her with my own hands... (Takes a handkerchief out of his pocket, dips it in chloroform and puts it carefully over Diane's nose) This way you won't interfere with my plans. Look what happened to you for not choosing me.
(...)
(After a while, Andy looks at the clock and, when he reckons Diane must be unconscious, he places her straight and puts his hand on her neck. At that moment, the cleaning lady enters and he pulls his hand away startled)
Cleaning lady: Don't worry about me. You can go on with your work. I won't be long.
(Andy looks at her angrily and takes out a notebook and a pen to hide it)
(...)
(When the cleaning lady leaves, Andy puts the chloroformed handkerchief back on Diane while he looks nervously at his watch)
(...)
(After a couple of minutes, Andy grins wickedly and begins to squeeze Diane's neck. When he hears the heart rate slowing, he looks at the monitor and smiles with satisfaction. Hearing his cell phone ring in his pocket, Andy panics, opens the window and slides down a rope. As soon as the window closes and he is out of sight, Sam enters the room. Seeing Diane's lips are slightly purple, Sam panics, and when he looks at the monitors, he realizes something is wrong and runs out)
Sam: Help!
(Startled, a nurse rushes into the room and looks at the monitors while grabbing Diane's hand to check her temperature. At that moment, another nurse enters the room and looks at her colleague to see what she needs)
Nurse: (To her colleague) Oxygen at 80 and bradycardia.
(In an attempt to fix the problem, the nurse removes Diane's oxygen cannula and puts a mask on her)
Nurse: (To her colleague) Get an injection of epinephrine. (She turns to the oxygen tank and increases the dose)
(...)
(After a while, everything is calm. Oxygen levels and all the other vital signs displayed on the monitor are normal, Diane's lips have a normal color, and she is just on the cannula for respiratory support. Sam is standing next to her, still a bit nervous, and the nurse is at the door, ready to leave)
Nurse: Let us know when she wakes up. We want to run some tests to see if it was a one-time thing, like a bad dream or an apnea episode, or if it was an organ failure.
Sam: Yes...
(As soon as they are alone in the room, Sam sits down next to Diane, grabs her hand and rests his head against it. At that moment, Diane wakes up and is startled to see Sam like this. Hearing her speak, he is startled and surprised)
Diane: (Worried) Sam, are you ok? (She makes a small pause) Am I ok?
Sam: Diane... H-How are you feeling?
Diane: (Slightly scared) Same as this morning. Did something happen? You're quite pale.
Sam: Your blood oxygen levels dropped. (Diane gets a little scared) We don't know exactly what happened, but you're okay now. (Sighs heavily) Diane, I... I'm sorry... My stomach wouldn't stop rumbling and I was feeling kinda dizzy, so I went to the cafeteria to get a quick lunch. I left you a note.
(Sam pulls the now all crumpled paper out of his pocket and shows it to her)
Sam: (Regretful and frustrated) I shouldn't have left you alone. If I had been here maybe it wouldn't have happened.
(Diane is surprised and saddened to see Sam like this. She could see in his face that he was devastated and full of remorse)
Diane: Sam... You've been here with me pretty much the whole time. That something happened to me just at the moment you left was bad luck. It's not your fault. The important thing is that you got here in time and that you were able to realize something was wrong. Thank you. (Squeezes his hand in an affectionate gesture and smiles)
Sam: (Hugs her) From now on I won't take my eyes off you.
Diane: (Smiles, still hugging him) Considering all the pretty young nurses out there, that makes me very happy.
Sam: (Startles upon remembering and pulls away from the hug) The nurse! (Runs off)
Diane: (Annoyed) Sam!
Sam: (Laughs realizing Diane is misunderstanding everything and turns to her already at the door) No (laughs). She told me to let her know when you woke up. To make sure you were okay. Right now you're the only one I care about. (He walks over to Diane and kisses her)
(Diane smiles and Sam leaves to call the nurse. Then she stops to think for a second and frowns)
Diane: Wait, what do you mean "right now"? It doesn't mean you'll flirt with others when I get better, does it, Sam? Sam! (Sighs resignedly)
(...)
(Hours later, Diane is sleeping and Sam is sitting next to her. Deep in his thoughts, he smiles, grabs her left hand and strokes her ring finger with his thumb as he smiles, first vertically and then horizontally. Diane wakes up at that moment and smiles upon seeing him, but Sam does not notice, so she pretends to be asleep to see what he is doing. Sam leans back in the chair a little, reaches into his pocket for something, shapes it into a circle, and puts it on Diane's finger. Noticing a rigid, flat texture, Diane frowns and slyly opens one eye to look. When she realizes it is a plastic zip tie like the ones he has in his workshop, she cannot help but laugh. Sam, realizing she is awake, startles and looks at her, embarrassed and annoyed)
Sam: (Outraged) You were awake! (Angry and frustrated) Argh, if you weren't sick-!
Diane: (Unable to hide her smile) Sam... Calm down, I'm not going to make fun of you. (Joking) Although it hurts a little that you waited for me to almost die. (She looks at him with a smirk)
(When Diane sees Sam serious and upset, she realizes this is not the right time for jokes)
Diane: Don't worry, I was just kidding. I actually think it's really sweet you're thinking about that (smiles).
(Before Sam can respond, someone knocks on the door and Norm pokes his head in. Woody and Cliff are with him. Diane, hearing them, quickly takes off her "ring" and puts it under her pillow with a smile)
Norm: Knock, knock.
Sam: (Happy to see him) Norm!
Diane: (Happy to see him) Norman... Woody, Clifford...
(Woody enters with a small bouquet of white tulips and hugs Diane, weeping)
Diane: (Surprised to see him holding a bouquet) What a magnificent bouquet.
Woody: (Crying) It's for you.
Diane: (Surprised) For me? Thank you! They're beautiful! (She strokes his hair a little and leans to the side to see his face) Woody, is something wrong? Did you argue with Kelly?
Woody: (Tearful) No, this is 'cause of you.
Diane: (Surprised) Because of me?!
Norm: Yeah. You better get well soon, 'cause I don't know what's worse, seeing Woody sad every time he thinks of you or seeing Carla wanting to kill him every time he does.
(Sam smiles resignedly, perfectly aware that Carla is just playing nasty and Diane looks at Woody with a bittersweet smile and pats him affectionately on the back while thinking how ironic it is that being she the one who is unwell, she is the one who comforts him, but grateful to have a friend with such a big heart)
Cliff: Speaking of Carla... Yesterday she told us about her suspicions, and that made me think of a documentary I saw not long ago. Did you know that if we were locked in a completely sealed room, carbon dioxide poisoning would kill us before oxygen deprivation?
(Hearing him say that, everyone stares at him, serious and perplexed)
Cliff: What?
Norm: Cliff, I don't think it's a good idea to say that when one of your friends is in the hospital for attempted murder.
(Cliff thinks about it and makes a "Yeah, maybe it wasn't the right time" face)
(...)
[Days later]
(Carla enters the room and, seeing the bed empty and Sam serious, nervous and thoughtful, is frozen)
Carla: (Shocked) Has she died? Just when it looked like she was starting to get better...
Sam: No, Carla, Diane hasn't died. She's downstairs. Doctors are running some tests on her. And before you say anything, shut up. I'm worried, and your hurtful, stupid comments are only gonna make me feel more nervous.
Carla: Okay, okay. I won't speak.
(As Carla leaves her purse on the bed, Diane enters followed by a nurse, looking better than the previous days, with a bit of make-up on and nothing strapped to her body)
Carla: (Smiling) Diane, good to see you finally on your feet.
Diane: (Looks at her suspiciously and sits on the bed) Are you teasing me?
Carla: No. (Happy and smiling) But the fact that you're better means that I'll be able to do it again soon.
(Diane smiles in resignation as she rolls her eyes and lies down so that the nurse can put the IVs back in)
Diane: Sam, could you do me a favor?
Sam: Sure, what is it?
Diane: Taking advantage of the fact that Carla is here, could you go home and bring me the notebook that is in the second drawer of my bedside table, a pencil and an eraser and the poetry book that is on the table?
Sam: (In disbelief) You're not gonna tell me you're gonna work here?
Diane: I have to keep myself entertained.
Carla: Do it, Sammy, at least this way she'll be quiet.
(Diane looks at her)
Norm: (Knocking on the door) Knock, knock.
Sam, Carla and the nurse: Norm!
(Hearing the nurse yell "Norm", they all look at her funny)
Diane: Norman...
Norm: (Pointing to the nurse with a smile) She's my neighbor (laughs).
All: Ah!
Nurse: Done.
Diane: Thank you very much.
(As the nurse walks out the door, Norm comes in, sits down by the window and opens a can of beer)
Norm: (Happy) Aah...
(Seeing Norm, Diane, Sam and Carla smile holding in their laughter and Diane shakes her head while smiling as if to say "He's hopeless")
Norm: (Seeing that they are looking at him) What? They wouldn't have let me in here with a mug.
Sam: (Smiles at the answer) Just make sure the nurses don't see you with that.
Norm: Are you kidding? One more swig and it'll be gone. (Drinks it and puts the can in his jacket) By the way, Diane, you look better.
Sam: (Nervous) Did the doctors tell you anything?
Diane: Yes. (Smiles excitedly) Basically my body has stopped self-destructing and is starting to heal.
Sam: (Happy, hugs her) What a relief! That's great! (Kisses her)
Carla: (Disgusted) Yuck...
(At the complaint, the two of them –still hugging– look at her as if to say "Don't be a party pooper!")
Norm: That's great news! We should celebrate with a beer! (He takes another one out of his jacket, raises it as if he were toasting, and opens it)
(Sam and Diane, seeing that he has brought –at the very least– a second beer, smile and shake their heads, surprised to see how far Norm can go, and Carla laughs)
Diane: (Stands up, moves the IV pole carefully and opens the window) Aaah... I've missed this. It's almost summer and you can feel that in the air.
Norm: It's true, I'm getting more and more in the mood for cold beer.
(Diane and Carla smile at the comment)
Sam: (Laughs) Hey, Norm, where's Cliff? You are usually close as thick as thieves. Did he take a vacation earlier this year?
Carla: No, it's just that the last time he came to visit Diane he drove a nurse so crazy that he was banned from here unless it was for medical reasons.
(Sam and Diane, hearing that, make a "Makes sense to me" face and Carla chuckles with satisfaction)
Sam: (Picking up a piece of paper and a pen) Hey, Diane, what was that you asked me earlier?
(Diane opens her mouth to speak, but suddenly turns completely white. Everyone looks at her in fright and alarm, but before Sam and Norm can utter a word, they all realize what the cause is and they look up at the window in shock)
Andy: (At the window) Hi there.
(Diane, in sheer terror, screams in panic, so loudly that she startles Andy, who falls out of the window with a scream. Then she collapses, startling Sam and Norm, who reflexively run to her. Sam carefully grabs her so she does not hit the floor)
Sam: Diane!
Carla: (Runs out) I'm gonna call a nurse!
(Norm, seeing that Sam and Carla are taking care of Diane, runs to the window and looks out)
Sam: (Placing an unconscious and pale Diane on the bed, he turns to him) Is he dead?
Norm: I don't know, I don't see him moving, this is a 10th floor, right? No one would survive falling from this height. Huh, they're coming in with a stretcher. They're taking him inside.
(Sam sighs overwhelmed and, at that moment, a nurse rushes in followed by Carla and starts to check Diane)
Carla: If I were you, I'd give her a sedative. If that men is still alive, she'll deafen us all with her yelling.
Nurse: (Looking at the blood pressure monitor) Her blood pressure is very low right now, if I give her a sedative, it could kill her.
Sam: (Worried) Is she gonna be okay?
Nurse: Yes, if that scare didn't kill her, I don't think she's in any danger. The fact that she didn't have a heart attack from that is a better sign of health than what any medical test can tell you.
Norm: I'd make sure whether that guy is alive or not before saying something like that.
Diane: (Coming round) Mmm...
(When Diane opens her eyes and remembers what happened, her face turns to sheer horror and she screams with such power that she could break glass. Fed up with her screams, Carla covers her mouth and then only Diane's heart monitor is heard, beeping very fast, and Diane's shaky breathing)
Carla: Calm down. You scared him with your scream and he fell out of the window.
Diane: (Scared) Is he alive?
Nurse: I'll go down to check and I'll come up to inform you.
Carla: Wait a second, I have a question, is there still a possibility that she could be mute due to vocal cord damage, especially after that scream?
(Diane looks at her as if saying "You gotta be kidding me")
Nurse: No, at most her throat will be sore for a couple of days.
Carla: If she talks less, that's enough for me (smiles).
Sam: (Serious and annoyed) Carla, we have more important things to worry about right now. (To Diane) How are you feeling? You're really pale.
Diane: Very dizzy, and very scared. Sam, could you hug me?
Sam: Sure. (He sits down, pulls her up a little, puts a hand on her back, pulls her to him and hugs her)
Diane: What if he survived? Being in the same building he could come and kill me.
Sam: Nothing like that is going to happen. He's deranged, he'll be under supervision the whole time.
Diane: I hope you're right.
Woody: (Enters) Hi, how- (Startled and worried) Miss Chambers, you look like Casper! Are you all right?
Diane: No...
Sam: A guy who is obsessed with her and once tried to strangle her in a play has climbed up to her window.
Woody: Wow, what skill! Wait, wouldn't that be a brown-haired, brown-eyed, kind of short, round-faced man...?
Sam: (Very surprised) Yes. Do you know him?
Woody: Once years ago he came to the bar with dynamite strapped to his body asking for Diane Chambers.
Diane: (Startled) What?!
Sam: (Angry) How come you didn't tell me anything?!
Woody: I must have forgotten, I'm sorry. Oh, and before I forget again. While I was at Cheers, a guy who was a detective called. He said the man you were looking for had been found dead and that everything pointed to suicide.
(Sam sighs in frustration and Diane, Norm and Carla look at Woody in concern)
(...)
Nurse: (Entering) My colleagues have informed me that he is alive.
Diane: (Terrified) No...
(Diane, upon hearing that the person who tried to kill her at least twice is still alive, pales, begins to tremble and her mouth starts to twist to one side uncontrollably. Seeing that, everyone gets scared, except Sam, who is aware of her facial tic)
Norm: (Alert and scared) Is she epileptic?
Nurse: (Approaching Diane, alert) It could also be a stroke.
Sam: It's nothing like that. It's a facial tic. She gets it when she's under a lot of stress. What she needs is to calm down.
Carla: (To the nurse) Can't you put her to sleep?
Nurse: (Looks at Carla somewhat annoyed and then looks at Diane again) Miss Chambers, calm down. That man is not going to come after you. He has suffered irreparable damage to his spine and has lost mobility from the waist down.
Diane: He can still shoot me.
Nurse: Not with a broken arm. You'll be out of here before he even begins to recover, and as soon as he's out of danger, we'll send him to a psychiatric hospital, where he'll stay permanently.
Diane: What if it is proven that he was the one who ordered the poisoning?
Nurse: I guess in that case he will have to pay your hospital bill, go to jail and when he gets out, he will go to the psychiatric hospital.
Diane: In that case it's all right, thank you very much for the report.
(When the nurse leaves, Sam looks at Diane with a smile)
Sam: That's great, huh?
Diane: No. Until I'm home and the results of the investigation are out, I'm not going to relax.
Carla: Leave this to me.
(...)
(After a couple of hours, Carla enters the room)
Diane: (Visibly nervous) Well?
Carla: (Happy) He spilt the beans!
Sam: (Surprised) What?!
Carla: I snuck into his room and he confessed while he was sedated... and threatened.
Sam: Do you have a recording or something you can give to the police?
Carla: Are you kidding? The police were there, listening from the door.
Sam: (Surprised) You called them?!
Carla: Well, I had to redeem myself somehow.
Diane: (Happy and surprised) When I get out of here, I'd like to do something to thank you.
Carla: Don't get sick again and don't take time off from work to go to movies, operas or concerts. That's enough for me.
Diane: I can't promise you the first thing because I'm human, but you can be sure about the second (smiles).
Sam: Is it that hard for you to get along like this all the time?
Carla: It's rather impossible. My work here is done. Goodbye.
Sam and Diane: Goodbye.
Diane: And, Carla... Thank you. Really.
(...)
[A few days later. Massachusetts General Hospital. Afternoon]
(It is a sunny day. Diane is sitting on the bed writing and Sam is sitting by the window trying to solve a crossword puzzle. When Diane finishes writing, she puts her notebook and pencil down and stretches as Sam looks at her with a smile. Seeing her return it and walk over to him, Sam stands up. Mentally exhausted from the fruitful writing session, Diane hugs him)
Diane: The weather is so lovely today. I can't wait to get out of here. Do you think I could convince one of the nurses to let me go out for a while? I would love to go to the Public Garden to sit and read by the lake.
Sam: No harm in asking. Although, seeing how you're doing, I don't think you have many days left in this tower.
(Before Diane can answer, Ethan, the boy Sam had befriended, comes in wearing a pair of denim shorts, sneakers and a T-shirt and runs to hug Sam)
Ethan: (Happy) Sam! Sam! I'm finally going home!
Sam: (Very happy) That's great!
Diane: (Happy) Congratulations.
Ethan's Dad: Thank you for keeping him entertained these days.
Sam: Don't worry, he's kept me as entertained as I've kept him (laughs).
Ethan's mother: (Entering with some papers in hand) Ethan, I've got your- (Very surprised) No way! You're Diane Chambers?
Diane: (A little puzzled and confused) Yes.
Ethan's mother: (Excited) I just finished your book, and, oh, my, you don't know how much I enjoyed it.
(At these words, Diane's eyes automatically light up and a smile of pure joy and excitement forms on her lips)
Ethan's mother: It was so emotional and therapeutic for me during these weeks that I think it will always have a special place in my heart.
Diane: (Smiles) I'm so glad you liked it.
Ethan's mother: (Looking at the notebook on the bed) Are you working on another one?
Diane: No, not at the moment. What I'm writing now is for a TV series.
Ethan's mother: Well, if it's as entertaining as the first one, I won't hesitate to watch it.
Diane: (Surprised and excited) You watched The Heart Held Hostage?!
(Sam, seeing her so excited, is surprised and smiles)
Ethan's mother: (Laughs) At this point I think I can consider myself your fan.
Diane: (Excited, she turns and looks at Sam) Did you hear that, Sam?
Sam: (Joking, but half serious) Yes, you have another fan of your works besides yourself.
(Diane looks at him with a smile somewhere between playful and resigned, as if to say, "Don't be mean")
Ethan: Sam, when Diane is completely well, do you want to come play baseball with me one day?
Sam: (Laughs) Sure.
Ethan: (Happy) Great! (Turns around, picks up one of Diane's memos and her pencil, writes down his home number and gives it to Sam) Here. (Gives him a hug) I'm so glad I met you. You're like the uncle I never had.
(As the boy and his parents leave, Sam is left thinking with a smile, wondering if, in the future, his children will have as much fun with him as little Ethan)